CVRD News

Malahat, BC – In preparation for this summer’s 25th anniversary of Canada’s The Great Trail, a vital trail connection has been completed on Southern Vancouver Island. The completion of the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) Sooke Hills Wilderness Trail and the 9km extension of the Cowichan Valley Regional District’s (CVRD) Cowichan Valley Trail, closes a gap in the route of The Great Trail.

“The Great Trail is one of the world’s longest networks of multi-use recreational trails,” explains Valerie Pringle, Chair, Trans Canada Trail Foundation. “Once fully connected, it will stretch nearly 24,000 km from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic oceans, through every province and territory, linking Canadians in nearly 1,000 communities. On Vancouver Island, The Great Trail spans from Nanaimo through the Cowichan Valley to Victoria.”

“We are glad the CVRD is finally recognizing the Malahat Nation’s ownership of their territory. We believe this will promote an active, healthy lifestyle for us and our neighbouring communities. We hope people will respect the territory as they travel through and admire its beauty. Malahat Nation remembers its history and is working hard towards building a better future,” says Malahat Nation Councillor Vince Harry.

In total, grant funders contributed more than $1.2 million to the completion of this important connection for The Great Trail on Vancouver Island. These include the Province of BC’s BikeBC program, TimberWest, the Trans Canada Trail Foundation, and a Provincial fund dedicated to establishing this trail route.